


More than words can say

by Nath_happiness



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Childhood Friends, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Fluff, Growing Up Together, M/M, Punk Derek Hale, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-15 06:19:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16928061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nath_happiness/pseuds/Nath_happiness
Summary: When Stiles was 8, he met a very scary werewolf.





	More than words can say

**Author's Note:**

  * For [otpsfloat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/otpsfloat/gifts).



> This was a blast to write, I really hope you love it as much as I loved writing it for you! I tried t make it light and fun and silly because it's how Christmas is supposed to be ♥

When Stiles was 8, he met a very scary werewolf.

He was at Cora’s birthday party, along with other kids from their same grade at school. Cora’s elder sister, a werewolf named Laura, had been kind to them, hugging each kid gently at their arrival.

But Cora’s older brother scared the poop out of him. Derek was dressed in black, from head to toe, and his pale face was blank while he stared at the kids playing on his backyard. 

For a few hours, Stiles forgot about him. However, at some moment, Stiles went in searching for a bathroom. His mom and dad were telling Mrs. Hale a funny story and Stiles didn’t want to bother them.

After finishing his business in the bathroom, Stiles heard the low humming of a different music playing, coming from upstairs. He had never heard anything like it before.

Curious to a fault, Stiles followed the song and found a door ajar at the end of the corridor.

He looked through the gap and froze. Sitting on the floor by the end of the bed, surrounded by art supplies, was Derek The Scary Werewolf.

But - he didn’t look so threatening anymore, because there was a small smile on his lips and a serene expression on his usually blank face.

Stiles must have made some noise, because Derek stopped doing whatever he was doing and looked straight at him, his face carefully devoid of any expression again.

Stiles hesitated and then as if he was entering a dragon’s lair, he stepped inside the room, walked a few steps, and promptly fell by Derek’s side. He peered over a very stiff shoulder and gasped.

On the page Derek was holding, there was a perfect copy of the house and the forest outside. It was very beautiful.

He probably said it out loud, because Derek snorted and said. “I am glad you like it. It’s not finished though.

Stiles nodded, distracted, but couldn’t stop staring at the picture. After a few minutes, when it became clear that Stiles wasn't planning on leaving, Derek asked hesitantly “Tired of the party?”

Stiles glanced at him and looked down at his hands. “I just”  - _don’t like being treated as a joke -_ “don’t have many friends here.”

Derek nodded, considering his next words. “Would you like me to draw something for you? You could paint it here, with me”.

“YES!” Was Stiles eager response. Derek seemed surprised by his reaction, but then he got a new page and asked: “What do you want to paint?”

Stiles considered it for a second, then “A unicorn!” Derek made an unhappy face but complied.

Sometime later, his mom and Mrs. Talia showed up at the door. “Stiles, are you bothering Derek?” Said his mom reprovingly. Before he could say anything, Derek shook his head. “He is fine, Mrs. Stilinski. He is fun.”

Stiles felt happy all of a sudden. Painting by Derek’s side, listening to the music playing on his radio, was strangely soothing. He proudly showed his mom his paint. “Look what we did!”.

His mom looked at the page, which was a catastrophe of shapes and colors, smiled a fond smile at him. “It’s beautiful honey”, she said while Mrs. Hale laughed softly at the door. “We will hang on the fridge when we get home, ok?” Stiles nodded, content.

Before they left, Mrs. Hale said to Derek “We will be cutting the birthday cake soon. Bring Stiles, ok?”. Derek assented.

After a few minutes, Derek let go of his paper and pencil and stretched. “We should go back”, he said. Stiles felt strangely sad at the words as if it meant no more painting with Derek.

As if sensing the change in the mood, Derek continued “We can sing the birthday song, eat and then come back here. I can maybe draw something else for you -”

“Like a dragon?” Stiles gasped, the heavy feeling leaving his chest. Only unicorns were better than dragons, everyone knew that.

Derek looked surprised, opening and closing his mouth a few times, then he shrugged. “I can try”.

Stiles smiled a crazy smile, all white teeth. He couldn’t help it, he was so, so happy. Aside from his mom and dad, nobody had been this nice to him before. Derek looked at him with uncertainty for a moment, then got up and extended a hand towards him. “Come on”.

Stiles followed him out of the bedroom, and glanced at the mirror on the corridor wall, surprising himself by the yellow color fading from his eyes. He blinked, and it was gone.

**_______________**

After that, it became a common thing to see Stiles exploring the Hale house, usually after a very moody teenager. Even though Stiles always said to his dad that he was going to spend time with Cora, and there was a four-year gap between Derek and Stiles, everyone knew the truth.

Everyone but Stiles recognized the way that Derek attracted Stiles like a mock to a flame.

In one of those days, while all the Hales and the Stilinskis enjoyed a warm afternoon at the pond behind the property, Stiles sat at the dock in a way he almost never did, still and focused as if his life depended on it. And maybe it did.

His eyes were drawn to the careful way that Derek applied black polish nail to his toes. Even in this weather, Derek wore a large black t-shirt with ripped sleeves over his swim truck.

“Is it cool to use a polish nail?” _Why was he asking this, of course, it was cool. Derek was doing it, wasn’t he?_

He perked up at the barest hint of a smile on Derek’s pierced lip. The werewolf looked at him through his long bangs. “Do you want me to do your nails too?”

Stiles could barely contain the surge of energy at the proposal. “YES!”

All eyes glanced at them, them away, exasperated and fond. But the boys didn’t notice it.

Derek started with his bitten fingernails, and Stiles chatted animatedly about the color, and how he was a cool kid now, and how he was going to impress everyone at school on Monday.

Through all his rant, Derek worked diligently. He was the only person who never told Stiles to shut up. Not even Scott had that much patience. It warmed Stiles heart in ways he couldn’t explain yet.

**_______________**

Stiles was walking back from summer school when he saw a particularly dark head enter the ice cream shop. It was easy to spot Derek among every other BH citizen: his dark clothes, ripped jeans, band t-shirts, the side bangs… it all made a very compelling image. If it was on anyone else Stiles was sure the look would be ridiculous, but he suspected Derek could walk around in a dinosaur costume and still be cool as fuck.

Stiles followed him to the shop without thinking twice and was greeted with the sight of Derek sitting at a table, holding one cone of Chocolate and another one of assorted flavors for Stiles.

He immediately hurried and got hold of his delicious ice cream, sitting across from Derek. “How did you know I was coming?” Stiles asked while licking his dessert.

“I heard your heartbeat”, Derek says, shrugging. “You are not exactly quiet, pup”.

Of course, he chose the bitterest of all flavors, a chocolate so dark it didn’t even reflect the light anymore. It was devoid of any soul, just like Derek tried to pretend he was. Stiles rolled his eyes, praying for patience, then flourished his right hand. In a second, the flavor turned pink and full of different toppings.

Being a spark had its advantages sometimes.

Derek eyed his new ice cream with a resigned expression on his face, the barest hints of a pout on his lips, and Stiles could not hold back anymore, busting out a loud laugh and scaring the other customers.

“You look ridiculous holding it”, he exclaimed, giggling like a child, which he was not anymore. He was sixteen, ok? He tried to get a hold of himself, saying “You don’t have to eat it. Here” he extended his hands to grab the desert, planning on buying something else for Derek as an apology for the prank, but Derek leaned away. Without missing a beat, Derek started tasting his bright monstrosity of ice cream, eyeing Stiles the whole time with a challenge in his eyes.

Stiles gasped.

Derek smirked, the asshole. “It’s good”, he said, as if he hasn’t blown Stiles’ mind by eating the strawberry ice cream.

Swallowing, Stiles said with as much nonchalance he could muster “Your welcome.”

When they finished their deserts, Derek asked “Are you free this afternoon? Or do you have homework”

Stiles thought about it for a second, about how fortunate it was that Derek was back from college for summer vacation and how much Stiles missed him while he was away, then smiled a huge smile. “Why? Do you want to spend time with your best friend, aka Moi, the greatest person you ever met?”

Derek rolled his eyes, standing and offering a hand to Stiles. “Yes, oh great one. Want to play video games?”

Stiles' heart skipped a beat, he was so happy and couldn’t explain why. This was just the usual. But when he took hold of Derek’s hand and got up, nodding excitedly, he knew that there was no one else he would rather spend his day with.

**_______________**

Stiles was nervous, ok? Dying from it. Just eyeing the phone got his heart beating madly in his chest. But he sucked up and dialed the number.

“Hey pup, what’s up?” Derek’s voice came all calm and quiet, and Stiles almost died from nerves.

“Der? I - “ he stopped.

Derek waited, not mentioning how late it was, not saying anything, and that gave the courage Stiles needed to carry on. “I go to college next week, you know?”

“I know”, murmured Derek.

“And I was wondering, you know if you could give-me-a-tattoo-as-a-birthday-present?” He shrieked.

“Uh - What?”

Stiles sighed. “I want a tattoo Der. As an acceptance present.” He repeated, defeated already. There was no way Derek would accept it.

“You was accepted two months ago”, is what the asshole says.

“Then it just means that this present is long overdue, don’t you think?” Stiles said rudely and cringed, but Derek somehow knew it was just the nerves talking.

“I take the Sheriff doesn’t know, or you wouldn’t be calling me at this hour.”

“I am 18! I can make my own decisions!” Stiles paced back and forth around his childhood bedroom, biting his nails and staring at his Star Wars and Star Trek posters.

“He will kill me,” Derek murmured on the line then said louder “Meet me at the parlor in half an hour.” Then hang up.

Stiles made there in fifteen minutes and waited for Derek on the sidewalk.

Derek arrived fully clothed in a tight Pink Floyd t-shirt and light jeans, his hair pulled into a messed knot on his head, and his own tattoos showing up on his forearms. Stiles knew there were more hidden by his clothes.

They entered Derek’s tattoo parlor, the one he worked along Laura, Erika, Boyd, and Isaac, though at this time of the night it was empty. Stiles was glad for it.

Derek took him all the way to the back, to the place Stiles helped him decorate to be his own room, and motioned for Stiles to sit on the tattoo chair while he walked around, preparing his supplies. They didn’t breathe a word to each other since the phone call, and Stiles was beginning to get overtaken by his fears. Was Derek mad at him?

“Are you mad at me”, he blurted.

Derek paused, and walked over to him, putting a hand on his neck. “Of course not. Are you sure of this, Stiles?”

Stiles nodded. “You know I am.”

A single eyebrow rose, and Derek touched their foreheads, some of his stray bangs tickling Stiles’s skin. “Do I?” He smiled, and it made his piercing move, attracting Stiles’ attention to it for a second.

Stiles could smell him, and it grounded his nerves. “You also know what tattoo I want.”

That made Derek pause again, and he leaned away enough to look Stiles in the eye. Directly into his glowing yellow eyes.

He nodded once, standing up to grab his supplies and the draw of the moon cycle he had made for Stiles a couple months ago, and that Stiles promptly framed and brought back to put on the wall of the newly renovated room. _For good luck_ , he had said with a wink.

“Where do you want it?” Derek asked.

“Here” Stiles opened the buttons of his flannel shirt and turning on his back. Derek would know what to do. And he did, after reverently touching the smooth skin of Stiles’s back.

After a while, Stiles noticed the lack of pain and a quick glance told him that Derek was using the hand steadying him to pull his pain. “Do you do this to all of your customers?” He asked, strangely invested in the answer.

Derek snorted. “What do you think? Do you often see me pulling pain from other people?” He shook his head. “There is no way I would do it. If they want to tattoo themselves so badly, that comes with the pain as well”.

Stiles didn’t know what to make of that information. “So I am special?” he murmured, staring at the black lines on Derek’s forearms.

“You know you are” Derek answered honestly. Stiles reached out and put his hands on Derek’s tight, silently conveying the gratitude he couldn’t put into words.

**_______________**

College was hell. Junior year was more than Hell, it was the devil incarnate himself.

Stiles came home for Christmas break with a battered soul and mind. He would have to sleep for centuries just to recover the past weeks.

Of course, that was not how real life worked. He arrived just in time to sleep and spend some time with his parents, and then the next day was the Christmas party at the Hale’s. It was _tradition_ , and he wanted to see Derek so fucking badly. They didn’t talk as often as he would like, and he knew it was his own schedule’s fault.

He knew the tattoo parlor was going great, and that Derek had a road trip with Laura and Cora during summer, all through the girl’s social media. It was maddening.

So he wasn’t surprised when he arrived and saw that Derek had got a haircut. But he was mad for not having seen it sooner. His hair was now cut short on the side and styled at the top.

After giving his greetings to all the others (having received a huge hug from the Hale matriarch), he left his own parents talking with Derek’s dad on the highly decorated living room and followed the noise to the backyard. The scenery was breathtaking, with hanging lights all around, and tables decorated with flowers and small Christmas trees.

He found the werewolf close to the table with all the drinks, listening to an animatedly Laura and Isaac talk his ear off with God knows what this time. Derek must have heard him approach, because he suddenly got another cup, pouring a weird looking juice inside, gave Laura a kiss on the cheek, and met Stiles halfway.

He gave Stiles the drink as a greeting and smiled expectantly at him.

Stiles smiled back, sipping carefully at the drink. He immediately reared back, because that - it was alcohol! On Christmas! Hell Yeah! He sipped again, glancing at Derek. “My dad will kill you. Nice knowing you, Der.”

“Ha ha”, Derek rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t there for your booze birthday, so we are celebrating it properly today.”

“On Christmas' Eve”, Stiles exclaimed, trying for horrified but smiling too much for it.

“When else?” Derek put an arm over his shoulders and kissed the side of his head. “Welcome back, pup.”

The rest of the night was a blur. Maybe at some time, he got so drunk he thought it was funny to change Derek’s shirt to a Christmas sweater, and instead of the usual cute Santa Claus’ reindeers, they were zombies! It was awesome, especially the way the sweater hugged Derek’s torso. He might have said that out loud too.

The morning after though, not so much. His head hurt as if someone was beating a sledgehammer against it, and Stiles hated it.

“I hate it”, he said to no one in particular.

“I can see it”, Derek answered, and Stiles almost died from a fucking heart attack. “What. The. Fuck.” Stiles said, grabbing his chest to calm his crazy heart. He recognized this room. They were in Derek’s apartment, close to the preserve and to the Hale house.

Derek just smiled indulgently to him from the door. “I figured you must be hungry”. He carried a tray with breakfast, which he deposited by Stiles’ side and sat on the bed too. “I brought you here last night because it was faster, and I was kind of too drunk to drive to your house. Your parents had left too early last night. Or maybe not so early. I don’t know. We drank way too much.”

With a headache still going strong, Stiles stared through narrowed eyes at his messed hair, gray sleeveless shirt, his tattooed arms and pierced lips, and dark boxer briefs. Derek’s eyes still had the smudge of the eyeliner he had used last night, and his nails were still painted black, as always.

Stiles had never loved something as much as he loved Derek right now.

So he didn’t question it, couldn’t have stopped it if he wanted to. He just leaned forward and brushed his lips on Derek’s for a second. From this close, he could count the long eyelashes on Derek’s eyes, and he knew his own must be glowing yellow, the way they always did for Derek, and only with him.

“I missed you a fucking ton”, Stiles said, putting some space between them. “You wanted me here too, right?”

That was why he brought Stiles to his den, instead of letting him stay at the Hale house. His parents had a lot of rooms for guests up there. But no, Derek kept him close and made him breakfast. And Stiles never wanted to leave this bed. Never ever.

Derek didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. He just chased Stiles’ mouth with his own.

 

FIM.


End file.
